According to New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, speaking from the Winter Meetings in 2019, injured outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been “swinging a bat for weeks and has been running, as well” in a presumable attempt to return to Flushing in 2020, per Mike Mayer of MetsMerized.
Cespedes, 34, has been shelved since mid-2018 after undergoing double heel decalcification surgery then suffered a major ankle injury following a violent fall on his ranch last summer, setting him back even further.
After being acquired by Mets GM Sandy Alderson at the trade deadline in 2015, leading New York to a National League pennant that season and an NL Wild Card berth in 2016, the team signed Cespedes to a four-year, $110 million contract that November.
Before signing his new deal, Cespedes hit .282/.348/.554 with 48 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 142 wRC+ over 189 games (792 plate appearances). Since re-signing with the Mets, he’s performed well (.282/.343/.525, 26 HR, 71 RBIs), but has appeared in just 119 games since then.
His addition to the Mets’ outfield would certainly be helpful, but it’s too early to know if Cespedes will be healthy enough to contribute in 2020.
